Shoe-fastener.



O. l. SFREEN.

SHOE FASTE'NER".

APPLICATION man 0013,1916.

Patented J une 25, 1918.

INVENTOR r9611 ATTORN EY WITNESSES pl at;

ORVILIJE J. SPREEN, 3T. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

SHOE-FASTENEB.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ORVILLE J. SPREEN a citizen of the United States, residing at st. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Fasteners, of which the followingis a specification.

The present invention has reference generally to improvements in clasps, and more particularly relates to a fastener especially adapted for use on shoes.

As the primary aim and object, the invention contemplates the provision of a novel fastening means for efficiently holding the adjacent edges of shoe uppers in removable engagement, the fastening means being hidden from view. when the shoe is fastened whereby to reduce the possibility of injury to the clothes of the wearer by coming in contact therewith.

The invention has for an additional object, and one of equal importance as the first mentioned object, to provide means for fastening the shoe uppers together in such a manner that the fastening device will not produce skin eXcrescences on the foot of the wearer.

More particularly, the present invention embraces the provision of improved means for effectively mounting the members forming a part of the fastener on a shoe.

Among the other aims and objects of the present invention may be recited the provision of a device of the character mentioned, with a view to compactness, the number of parts of which are few, the construction simple, the cost of production low, and the efiiciency high.

Other aims and novel details in the construction and arrangement of parts will be appreciated from the detailed description below, which is to be read in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein I disclose a preferred embodiment of the invention for the purpose of illustration.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of shoe uppers showing my invention in an open position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the same looking toward the inside of the uppers.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. October 3, 1916. Serial No. 123,523.

shoe uppers held in their closed position by my improved fastener.

Fig. 4: is a transverse section taken on line 4- 1 of Fig. 3 in the direction in which the arrow points.

Fig. 5 is a perspective detail of the hook member.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section of a shoe upper showingone of the eyes, forming a part of the fastener in elevation.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now, more particularly, to the accompanying drawings 1 provide shoe uppers 1 and 2 and at the outset it will be understood that my invention can be readily applied to various other garments with equal efficiency. The meeting or adjacent edges of the uppers are folded inwardly and secured tothe main portion by means of stitches 3 to provide hems 4 and 5. The hem 5 is provided at uniformly spaced 111- tervals throughout its length at the fold with a plurality of longitudinal slots 6. One of the members of each fastener is secured to the hem 5 and in the present in stance consists of a U-shaped hook 7 which is formed from a strip of flat metal. One of the arms 8 of each hook is provided with an opening and has a suitable fastening device 9 mounted therein, which fastening device, after the insertion of the front arm 8 in one of the slots engages the hem 5 as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The outer or engaging arm 10 of each hook is arranged to lie within the plane of the edge of the upper to which it is attached and in spaced relation with the hem. For the purpose of removably holding the uppers in engagement with each other, I have provided a plurality of eyes 11 each of which is formed from a single piece of wire, the sides 12 being passed through the main portion of the upper 1 and the hem 4 and finally bent inwardly toward each other to provide retaining feet 13 for holding the main portion 11 of the eye in spaced relation with the outer surface of the main portion. As is apparent there are a plurality of these eyes and they are arranged in spaced relation with each other throughout the length of the upper 1 and the hem 4; and serve to strengthen the hem portions of the shoe or other garment to which the fastener may be. associated. It is also to be noted that the eyes are positioned opposite the hooks 7 so as to receive the engaging arms 10 thereof as illustrated'i'n Figs. 3 and 4. Likewise, it will be appreciated that the seam provided when the edges of the 7 tailed description of the operation of the invention is unnecessary, since the members of the fastener are placed in engagement with each other in a manner similar to a hook and eye and when in the position shown in Fig. 3 the uppers 1 and 2 will snugly engage the ankle of the wearer of the shoe and produce a neat fit. As previously intimated, the fastener can be used to like advantage on other garments.

As many-changes could bemade in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope of the invention, which, as a matter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

As a new article of manufacture a shoe fastener of the concealed type, the hook of which is made from a single piece of fiat material of rectangular form bent to form a substantially U-shaped hook, the limbs of which are of different lengths, the shorter limb being perforated to provide a means for attaching to a piece of material and to be concealed in the hemmed edge of the same, and an eye formed of a single piece of material capable of being bent to form a rectangle, the free ends serving to pierce and clench the eye on an opposing piece of material.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE J. SPREEN.

Witnesses:

B. D. Moss, C. H. COLEMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

